New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-04-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, April Goth 1887.
The past week. as well as the present
one is replete with anniversaries which
the old residents of Washington can
never forget. Twenty two years ago
last Friday morning Abraham Lincoln
died of the cruel wound inflicted by
John Wilkes Booth at, Ford's Theatre.
The sensation produced by the assassi-
nation of the great War President
thrilled the Capital like the tremor of:
an earthquake.
The whole country quiyered with the
shock. There has never been nor has
there beenn here since such such per-
iod Of horror, Indignation, and appre-
hension. It was even feared that the
tragedy might temporarily undo the
work that had just been achieved and
again unsettle the foundations of the
public peace. Every one was fright
ened, every one was regarded with sus-
picion. Neighbors, yes, even old
friends eyed each other askance, while
| arrests were so plentiful as to Justify
and prolong the inIense excitement.
The belief that the handsome, hot
bloeded young actor was but the chosen
instrument Of a well formed conspiracy
in which many men of note were con-
cerned, made people afraid of members
of their own family. Martial law prac.
tically prevailed, and it was well nigh
impossible to pass the city limits. No
man was without suspicion, and it
seemed as if chaos itself had control
Never was a nation more torn by ex-
element or more sorely tried, and then
the other attempted assassination, and
the wild cry for vengeance but it is an
old, old story.
ItYss the final baptism Of the Union
iaofood, and although the great war
Vent out in tears, it left behind it more
indestructible than ever, all glorious
without and within, the principles of
constitutional liberty, equality and fra
ternity. for which Lincoln. yielding the
best years of his life, yielded life itself
at last.
To-day the streets of the city have
been filled with colored people and thh
music OF BRASS bands. It is the twenty
fifth anniversary of the emancipation Of
slaves in the District of Columbia. and
| it has been celebrated with Il street pa
rade and other excersises. The cele-
bration was one of the largest of the
kind which has ever taken place here,
and there We're about 10000 people in
the procession. Its line OF march was
through the White House grounds, and
the President reviewed it, standing on
the front portico OF the Mansion
The Senatorial Select Committee,
which is investigating the workings of
the Executive Departments here, and
trying to probe their methods, has UNI
dertaken gigantic task. When its
final report is made. however, the re-
suit of It's labors will doubtless be inter-
esting and abound in kind of informa-
tion which is now sealed book to the
public. The committee has an excel
lent opportunity to find out for the BEN
eft OF the public also whether Civil Ser
vice Reform is really all that its friends
claim, or whether it is a fraud rs argued
by its opponents.
The Sunday laws are agitating very
much the Cilzens of the Capital this
week. A LARGE portion of the commu-
nifty is fearful lest it shall have to fast.
on the Sabbath or else change its mode
of living. Washington used to be
called !. city of boarding houses, but of
late years has been dubbed the city Of
eating houses. The reason of this is
that hundreds of Government Clerks
have found it cheaper to rent rooms
and take meals out than to keep
house, and rs 4 consequence num-
Der of eating houses have sprung up
and done very profitable business.
The triumvirate commission which gov
ems the District has sent forth the edict
that not only drinking saloons and pla.
ces Of business shall be closed on Sun
day but also that milk and ice wagons
shall not run. and that eating houses,
shall shut up. If this last provision is
enforced it will cause great inconven-
|tiencc to thousands of persons who reg
ularly take their meals at these places
and will cause the failure in business Of
these enterprising men who are willing
to cater to the palate for the handsome
returns received.
It seems pretty big fish story, but
still none the less true, that over 600,
600 herring have been brought from the
Potomac into Washington the present
week. This is the largest number re-
ceived for years past and is due to the,
stringent Laws prohibiting the drawing
of seines for fish during the spawning
season. a few years ago the number
of herring caught became SO small that
epicures began to fear that the delicacy
Of Potomac Herring would be =
thing Of the past. Ths Fish Commi-
ssion however had salutary laws enac-s
ted, and the 600, 900 herring week IS
the result ss
The President had y tender heart this
week and SO granted eight pardons to.
persons convicted and imprisoned for
embezzleing from the mails; breaking
into Post Offices; robbing the mails on
the highways; counterfeiting. and 9th
er crimes. Cleveland has granted